Throughout their lifetime, neurons are constantly exposed to a large variety of mechanical stimuli in many physiological circumstances. In this regard, experimental evidence demonstrated how mechanical cues play a central role in determining the direction and velocity of axonal outgrowth. In particular, neurons seeded on planar substrates undergoing periodic stretches have been shown to reorient almost perpendicularly to the main stretching direction, reaching a stable equilibrium orientation in correspondence with angles within the interval [60°, 90°]. The entire reorientation and outgrowth process is guided by a highly motile structure at the axon tip: the growth cone. In this Thesis, we present a new model for the reorientation and growth of neurons in response to cyclic stretching.